The user of a Western style toilet is generally in a seated position with the femur portion of each leg extending approximately horizontal and the lower portion of the legs extending downwardly therefrom. By comparison Eastern or Arabic style toilets are used in a squatting position wherein an individual's thighs are extended or canted upwardly. Some believe that the squatting position is more natural and properly aligns the intestines, allows the use of gravity and abdominal tension while relieving strain on sphincter muscles to facilitate bowel movement and in passing urine. It is also alleged that problems of the urinary and lower digestive track may be attributed to the unnatural position during waste elimination by the use of conventional Western style toilets.
There have been many attempts to combine the advantages of Eastern and Western style toilets by the use of footstools for elevating a user's feet when using a Western style toilet. For example, a Finlay U.S. Pat. No. 2,250,060 discloses a footstool adapted for use with sanitary closets. As disclosed, a footstool or platform is provided for the purpose of obtaining with a toilet of ordinary height the physiological advantages of a “squatting position.”
A further apparatus for assisting a person using a toilet in completing a successful bowel movement is disclosed in a Sakamoto U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,514. As disclosed, a horizontal seat member defining a central vertical opening therethrough is provided for stationary support from the open upper end of a toilet bowl. The seat member includes front, rear and opposite side portions and defines an upper seat surface which is upwardly concave in a front-to-rear extending direction for more readily conforming to the lower torso configuration of a person having his or her legs bent sharply in positions similar to those assumed when the person is in a squatting position. The forward extremity of the seat member includes a depending portion terminating downwardly in a forwardly and horizontally directed footrest portion for support of the user's feet and the seat member has a hinged cover operatively associated therewith, the cover including first and second sections thereof pivotally joined together along adjacent marginal portions and being swingable between a raised upstanding open position with the cover sections substantially coplanar and a lowered horizontal position with the cover sections relatively oppositely inclined downwardly toward the adjacent marginal edges thereof. This way the cover conforms to the concave seat member. The cover includes structure thereon for releasably retaining the cover sections in the coplanar position.
In addition, a footrest for a conventional toilet is described in a Welles U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,024. The Welles patent discloses a footrest for a conventional toilet that may be conveniently stored in a nested position under the toilet bowl. The footrest has a left side frame and a right side frame that are connected at their forward ends by a telescoping connecting member. The side frame members each include a vertically oriented U-shaped portion that is connected to a cantilever portion having foot platforms mounted thereon. The footrest is used to facilitate a toilet user assuming a semi-squatting position during use. The footrest may also be used by children or other person's whose legs do not reach the floor when on the toilet.
Finally, a height adjustable footrest for toilets is described in a Dixon U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,524. As disclosed therein a height-adjustable footrest for toilets for preferably using while a user is seated upon a toilet stool includes a base adapted to rest upon a floor and an upright adjustable support assembly mounted upon the base and including tubular base members each having an open top end and a bore extending therein. It also includes shaft members being moveably disposed inwardly and outwardly of the tubular base members and further includes elongate cross members being mounted upon a shaft members with each of the cross members interconnecting a pair of the shaft members. In addition, the footrest includes an elongate footrest support member pivotally disposed between and interconnecting the elongate cross members and further includes footrest members being mounted to the elongate footrest support member and an assembly for raising and lowering the footrest members.
Notwithstanding the above, it is presently believed that there is a need and a potential commercial market for an improved footrest for a toilet in accordance with the present invention. There should be a need and a potential commercial market for such footrest because they are portable, of relatively simple design and can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost. Further, such footrest are of light weight construction, durable, and storeable in a carry case for ease in moving from one facility to another.